


Radioactive

by Jeg_undskylder_mange_gange20041q3e5t1111



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M, Magical Realism, POV John Watson, Please don’t copy, Radioactive, Slow Build, Slow Burn, first fic ever, johns background, mostly john
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28017723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeg_undskylder_mange_gange20041q3e5t1111/pseuds/Jeg_undskylder_mange_gange20041q3e5t1111
Summary: "Radioactive," John said out loud to himself. It was a funny word, Radioactive. It was long and difficult, and his dad often used it when talking about his work.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is kinda my first fanfic ever. I’ve written about half of it, but i need to translate everything so I might not update so often. Also my English is trash, so my grammar is trash. Please write in the comments if there is anything I need to change.

"Radioactive," John said out loud to himself. It was a funny word, Radioactive. It was long and difficult, and his dad often used it when talking about his work. John didn’t know what it meant, but he knew whatever his dad did was important.  
"Radioactive," he said again. He liked it a lot, it had a funny sound. He knew his dad was inside the office next door and was probably trying to work, but John's six-year-old mind didn't care.  
He ran with small quick steps to the door, and hesitated only a brief moment before pushing it open.  
Inside, his dad looked up from his computer and smiled when he saw his son's head sticking in. He nodded as a sign that it was okay for him to enter, so John opened the door completely and waddled in. He walked more carefully around the desk and to his father's chair.  
"Are you radioactive?" He asked with a seriousness that did nothing to hide his enthusiasm. The truth was, that even though he understood very little of what his dad was saying, he loved hearing him talk about his work. He always sounded so happy and almost beamed when he used all the long smart words.  
As soon as his dad realized that John wanted to hear more about his work, a smile grew on his lips. He began to tell a long story about things called atoms and isotopes. He also mentioned acids and bases, but John knew what that was.  
Acid and bases were opposites and water was in the middle. (John tried to explain it to his friends, but they didn’t seem to care.)  
"We start the new experiment early tomorrow. It's insane how much the others stress about it, it's new, but not dangerous. ” He sounded a little unhappy, but that was not what John wanted to focus on.  
"What does 'experiment' mean?" He asked.  
He was sure he had heard it before, had probably also gotten an explanation, but in that moment he couldn’t remember.  
It took his dad a while to find the right words.  
In the end, he just said, “This is when you try something you’ve never tried before, to see what happens. If you want, you could join me tomorrow to watch.”  
John almost started jumping, and he certainly shook with pure joy.  
A big smile stuck to his face for the rest of the day. He was almost never allowed to come to work with his dad, and when he could, everyone just sat with their computers all day.  
But this time was different. This time he would be allowed to see them do an experiment and even though he didn’t quite understand what it was all about, he was super excited.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why are the men wearing spacesuits?” He asked, and his dad chuckled a little. John had wondered about it for a while, was there no air in there?
> 
> “That’s because it is very radioactive in there, and it will hurt them a lot if it gets in contact with their skin.” He explained, and John felt he understood a bit better. Radioactivity wasn’t good to touch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... hope you like it. Please let me know in the comments if there’s any mistakes i need to correct. :)

For the rest of the day, John was calm and helpful. He cleared the table, helped his mom make dinner, and his dad wondered if should let John come with him to work more often. He also helped after dinner and did the dishes as well as he could - mom had to take over in the end, but did it with a smile.

The next morning they woke up as always, but John's dad quickly sent the school a message saying that he was sick and couldn’t come, - a lie of course. Meanwhile his mom packed him some lunch and helped him tie his shoelaces. She gave him a long, warm hug in the garage, before she drove off in one car while they left in the other.

John was looking out the window in the backseat. He knew that it would take a while before they were there and he was SO bored. He had asked, but hadn’t been allowed to bring his friend James, so he had no one to play with. He asked his dad if they could listen to the radio. Hard rock came screaming through the car and John jumped further back in his seat. It took some time for his dad to find the right buttons, but eventually they ended on a channel with soft pop music.

John became distracted by the music for a few minutes, but had to come up with a game he could play with himself. He spent the next hour trying to count every red thing they drove past. (185, 186, 187...) It turned out to be entertaining enough, because suddenly they were in a parking lot with a (red - noticed John) sign, with his dad's name Jonathan on it. He had been so deep in his own thoughts that he got a shock when his dad opened the door for him.

John followed him around, and got more than enough curious looks that he tried to ignore. He knew it wasn’t personal, it wasn’t often they got visitors at Baskerville.

His dad guided him away from the many military men and scientists, and towards a small lab by the edge of the base. There was only a small space between the building and the fence. On the other side, John could see what he knew was a large minefield. The first time he had followed his dad to work, he had tried to climb over the fence, and only stopped because his dad had started crying. He then explained to John what would happen if he tried to walk on the field on the other side. Even though he had promised not to do it again, he wasn’t allowed to go outside alone, - too dangerous, apparently.

Luckily for him, the experiment would keep him occupied, so he wouldn’t do anything stupid.

Inside were all of Jonathan's colleges - which were not many, when it was one of the country’s most secret projects that they were working on - who all had to look twice when John entered behind him.

Professor Phillips hesitated for a second.  
“Ehh, hey Jonathan… why have you brought John with you today?” He asked.

Jonathan was prepared for his colleagues' reactions and could see their disapproval in the looks they sent him, but only now did he wonder if he should have given them a warning.

‘Bit too late’ he thought.

“John is here because he wanted to be a part of the experiment we’re making today.” He said calmly. He made sure to look each of them in the eyes, to let them know that they couldn’t change his mind. Next to him, John was jumping up and down from excitement, oblivious to the tension between his dad and the others.

“What the hell Jonathan! You know how fucking hard we’ve been working for this! We can’t have a kid getting in the way, and none of us have time to babysit!” Hissed professor Sally from the back of the room. She was the professor Jonathan liked the most, and would normally agree with most of what she said, but this time he thought she was being unfair. He just needed to explain it to them, and they would be able to find a compromise of some sort. John wouldn’t get in the way of anything.

“Listen, it's too late to drive him back to the school, and he just wants to look. Besides, we’re in a hurry and have better things to do than bickering all day. Can we please just get to work?” He said, almost pleading. Slowly people returned to their desks and started typing on their computers again. He turned to John, that had been completely quiet throughout the conversation.

“Okay John,” he started, “here’s what’s going to happen. I’ll have to work with the others for a couple of hours, you know, to prepare for the experiment. Gary is outside, he knows when and where you need to go, and will take you there once we begin. Okay? Remember to do as he says.” John nodded and turned towards the door. He pushed it open and looked outside. Gary leaned against the wall next to him, exactly as his dad had said he would. John liked Gary, he was fun to play with, and he spent the two hours running around hiding behind buildings and people, while Gary tried to catch him. He was doing a poor job, and John easily got away every time.

He was hiding in an outdoor closet, with enough room for three or four adults, when Gary started yelling in the air, that it was time for them to find his dad. He jumped out of the closet - scaring the shit out of Gary that was closer than either had thought - and followed him to another building in the middle of Baskerville.

On the inside was a long hallway that led to nothing. On one side it was just a brick wall, but on the other side was a huge glass barrier. Behind it was another room, with large items and tools John couldn’t identify. Two men stood behind a table, and was waiting for orders from his dad and the other scientists. They were both wearing full body suits, that reminded John of the spacesuits astronauts wore in movies. Maybe they had taken some of the moon, and put it in one of the boxes. John felt more excited than ever.

He walked down the hallway with Gary next to him. When he came closer to his dad and the other scientists, he slowed down and stopped a few meters away. His dad looked up from his notes, and John could see a glimpse of something in his eyes. He smiled and looked at Gary.

“Hey Gary, you look tired. Did you have fun?”

John was about to answer, but before he could open his mouth, Gary was talking.

“Your son is a little devil. I chased him around the entire base for two whole hours. Without even a single break! I need a raise.” John frowned at that. He had had a great time, and didn’t understand why Gary thought it exhausting.

“Well you definitely deserve a break, and we’re also about to start up here.” His dad said, and Gary turned around and left without another word.

One of the professors - Natali, John remembered - knocked on the glass, and the men behind it started moving around. Half an hour later, John still had no idea what they were doing. It didn’t bother him, because his dad answered all the questions he had - which was a lot.

“Dad, dad!” He said while tugging at his sleeve. He turned around to face him.

“Why are the men wearing spacesuits?” He asked, and his dad chuckled a little. John had wondered about it for a while, was there no air in there?

“That’s because it is very radioactive in there, and it will hurt them a lot if it gets in contact with their skin.” He explained, and John felt he understood a bit better. Radioactivity wasn’t good to touch.

It looked like he was going to say some more, when a loud scream came from professor Sally. The second after something exploded. Everything was bathed in a yellow light, and all the air left John's lungs when his dad got pushed into him with so much force, they hit the wall behind them. John's head was hurting, and he could hear his heart pound in his ears. He tried to move, but his dad was laying on top of him, limp, and bleeding from his head. He tried once more, to move away, but it was like everything came crashing to him at that moment - the pain in his head, the heat that felt like it was peeling off his skin, and the smell of something rotten, the smell of death. He only saw green flames and his dad's lifeless face before he passed out.


End file.
